Our Bureau
Washington, DC
Nikki Haley, the Indian-American former governor of South Carolina, is the best Republican candidate to beat US President Joe Biden for the White House, especially among independent voters, a new poll has found.
Fresh out of the second Republican debate this week, Haley led the sitting President by two points – 40% to 38% in the latest poll by JL Partners for the Daily Mail, which surveyed 1,000 likely voters from September 15 to 20.
Biden was a point behind former President Donald Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, but stayed ahead of Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former Vice President Mike Pence by three and eight points, respectively.
Haley’s advantage was most prominent among independent voters. Among this group, she beat Biden by 19 points, the widest margin across the Republican pool, the Daily Mail reported.
The Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll released earlier this month found the former UN ambassador leading President Biden.
When asked about a hypothetical matchup between Haley and Biden in 2024, 41% of respondents said they would back her, in comparison to 37% who said they would support the current president.
